Events
100,000 visitors per year! As Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre celebrates its second year of operation, the latest figures show that the number of visitors exceeds all expectations, with over 100,000 people using the centre over the last year. Local families, teenagers and visitors to the Forest just love the trails and the facilities provided at this friendly Forestry Commission centre.
NOVEMBER 24-24 Dec Santa’s Grotto and Nativity Scene with real animals. National Forest Adventure Farm 01283 533933 30 Ashby de la Zouch Christmas Food & Drink Market 01530 416961
If you haven’t visited already, you will find the centre on Willesley Lane between Ashby de la Zouch and Moira. Enjoy nine miles of safe off-road trails, showers, cycle hire and a great café! See you there! http://www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
30-1 Dec Christmas Tudor Craft Day at Donington le Heath Manor House 01530 831259
>> Story continues from front page – The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood
See above for National Forest Adventure Farm and CONKERS Christmas activities 7 Winter Photography Workshop at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 14 Christmas Fine Food Fair at Calke Abbey 01332 863822 15 Derby Bach Choir sing Handel’s Messiah in the Riding School, Calke Abbey 01332 863822 20 CONKERS Annual Christmas Carols concert with Ibstock brick Brass Band 01283 216633 24 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Festive event at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 26-1 Jan Family Bauble Trail at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333
JANUARY 19 Winter Wonderland Walk at Rosliston Forestry Centre 01283 563483
APRIL
A car park for 50 cars and two coaches has been created, and this is soon to be followed by the construction of a surfaced allability track, enabling everyone to enjoy a circular walk from the car park to the lake. The lake is now graced by a new timber bird hide. Its construction is funded by the Arts Council, and it will be integrated into the landscape with green willow woven screening and a turf roof. The hide will double-up as an art gallery, displaying photography and other visual art work produced by artists and individuals or communities using the site. A photographic project is being developed by artist Patricia Swannell to capture the site from one specific viewpoint as it changes and develops, using a brick plinth constructed near the lake. Families and other users will be invited to take their own pictures of themselves in the landscape over time, to record another aspect of change at the site.
19-18 May Bluebell Woods of Yoxall Lodge 01283 575237
MAY 17-18 Moira Canal Festival 01530 515273 17-29 National Forest Walking Festival www.thenationalforestwalkingfesti val.org.uk
Plant a Tree to remember a loved one. Many people find comfort in planting a tree to remember and celebrate the life of a special person.
>> page 5
Burton upon Trent Birmingham
Leicester
Swadlincote
ForestScene Winter 2013/14
Ashby de la Zouch
Large print version available Tel: 01283 551211
Coalville
MEMBERS OF THE NFC TEAM MET IAN FROGATT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST RECENTLY, TO SEE HOW THE TRUST IS MANAGING MARTINSHAW WOOD. THE WOODLAND IS VISIBLE FROM THE M1 IN LEICESTERSHIRE, AND THE TRUST IS USING THINNING TECHNIQUES AS PART OF RESTORING A PLANTATION ON ANCIENT WOODLAND SITES (PAWS).
e! it Hom Take 2 Page
NF10K Page 2
National F orest W ay Page 3
Wood F Page air 4
NATIONAL FOREST & BEYOND VISITOR CAMPAIGN As part of the 2014 National Forest & Beyond campaign the visitor guide will be re-launched in a magazine style format and will include real life visitor stories, distinctive experiences and a more ‘strippeddown’ approach. To help us with the transition from traditional Visitor Guide to the new magazine style format, we have appointed Greentraveller, a respected organisation that specialises in promoting sustainable tourism. Greentraveller is working with us to include contributions from renowned travel writers, who have visited the Forest and will share their experiences.
Across the lake, a 9ha conservation area has been secured, providing sanctuary for the wildlife to escape the sometimes over-zealous gaze of the visiting public. Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “We are very excited to see how the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is developing. The National Forest Company and other landowners worked with the Woodland Trust to enable the flagship wood to be located here, and the sheer scale of
the site makes it a marvellous addition to the woodlands and attractions we have in the Forest already. The artwork and interpretation, the conservation and the access work dovetailing together make this a really exciting project. There’s a lot of interest already and local people are exploring the site. It will be a wonderful place for a real ramble through woodland, big enough to get lost in!” www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Forest, food, fun and friends: the National Forest Company is supporting a unique community woodland project near Melbourne, Derbyshire. Whistlewood Common Limited, a not-for-profit society, approached the NFC with a vision of community-owned low-input, high-yield woodland where people could grow their own food, spend time outdoors, learn new skills and celebrate with families and friends. They offered community shares in the company, in order to purchase the land and get the project up and running. The share offer was matched by grant aid from the NFC. Within two weeks of the launch they had raised sufficient funds to put in an offer on 10 acres of land
on Melbourne Common, which was accepted subject to contract. “The friendly, efficient and productive support we received from the National Forest Company really helped us get Whistlewood off the ground,” said the group’s Chair Helen Bralesford. The project will provide a communityowned growing space where the best agro-forestry practice will flourish in partnership with perennial food production. Alan Leather, for the NFC, said: “This is a truly inspiring project. It’s great to see what can be achieved by a passionate community with good ideas.” For more information see www.whistlewoodcommon.org
“Anna the llama lady = my new personal hero. We LOVED this http://www.nationalforestllamatreks”
PAWS restoration is designed to help reinstate ancient woodland, such as Martinshaw, which typically shows little evidence of pre-1600 woodland (the definition of ancient woodland), having been planted with fast-growing conifers between the 1930s and 1970s in order to restock the nation’s timber reserves. Trees were needed to replace the timber that had been used to prop up the trenches, or fuel the steelmaking. But the resultant pines and cedars now often dominate the native woodland species, preventing successful natural regeneration, and shading out many of the wildflowers that grow on the forest floor and the shrubs that grow at the woodland edge. Discussing how the management was being carried out prompted an interesting debate as to whether any of the softwood trees would be retained. Some of us felt that conifers are part of the tradition and landscape of this area now, and an important potential product in many woods. The Trust is working with a contractor on a ‘feller select’ basis, to lightly thin where it is needed and to carry out what is termed halo thinning. This means clearing
enough conifers around a single broadleaf tree to create a halo of light, enabling that one tree to thrive and increase its canopy, and enough of the precious dappled shade, that we all associate with woodland, to fall on the forest floor. If too much light is let in through excessive thinning, bracken and bramble swarm in, smothering any possibility of the desirable ground flora establishing itself. Seeing piles of logs neatly arranged beside the forest track, towering over our heads, we all felt proud that this timber came from our Forest. The visit gave us insight into what lies ahead in looking after our woodlands. To shape the Forest for quality, to make it a welcoming place to walk through and to make it a sustainable forest for our woodland owners, as well as planting new stock, the red ‘Tree cutting’ signs will be out and we will hear the sound of chainsaws. This is an edited version of an article that appeared on the NFC blog ‘Woodland Edge’. Read it at www.nationalforest.org/ newsroom/
“Spent last few days exploring @NatForestCo attractions on assignment for @greentraveller. The kids loved dressing up @NTCalkeAbbey #travel”
HOLLAND & BARRETT, EUROPE’S LEADING RETAILER OF VITAMINS, MINERALS AND HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS, IS THE LATEST COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL FOREST. THEIR SPONSORSHIP IN THE FIRST YEAR WILL CREATE NEW FOREST AT NANPANTAN, AND COMPLEMENT THEIR BUSINESS-WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT ‘PLAN-IT GREEN’. resource of The National Forest on their doorstep. For us as a national company, we are excited to be part of the visionary work of the Forest, and the impact that it has on people and the environment.”
“So enjoyed our biking around Hicks Lodge. Wish we could make yr bike mushing event coming up!”
Plant a Tree – the gift that keeps on giving Both you and the recipient are then invited to join us for a special planting event, to plant the tiny ‘whip’ (young tree) that you choose on the day, usually an oak, birch, field maple, rowan or small-leaved lime.
Plant a Tree is a wonderful way to support The National Forest and treat someone to a treasured, sustainable gift. When you buy Plant a Tree online you create your own certificate from our designs and write your own personal message to the person receiving the gift. Attach by email, or print out the certificate in your own home for delivery by post, or by hand, rolled and tied with a ribbon!
You will be helping create new woodland, on a site that will always be open for you to visit. You can see the trees as they grow and change with the seasons, and enjoy the birdsong as the local wildlife make it their home. Buy it online at www.nationalforest.org/ sponsor/plantatree/ A perfect present for:
Halo T hinning Page 6
Pedal power!
What they’re tweeting already:
WHISTLEWOOD COMMON: A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?
[
Derby Nottingham
Halo thinning at Martinshaw Wood
30-24 Dec Christmas Winter Wonderland at CONKERS 01283 216633
DECEMBER
The National Forest Company Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6BA T: 01283 551211 F: 01283 552844 E: enquiries@nationalforest.org W: www.nationalforest.org
Their stores are a familiar sight in almost every major city and town across the United Kingdom and Ireland, and throughout their history Holland & Barrett have supported the manufacture and supply of products which help protect the world’s natural resources and habitats. They are also recognised as a key sponsor of the successful re-introduction of the blue butterfly in Britain. In
2010 they were the first national retailer to commit to having no plastic bags in store. Lysa Hardy, Chief Marketing Officer for NBTY Europe (Holland & Barrett’s parent company), said: “With our headquarters in Nuneaton and distribution centre in The National Forest at Burton upon Trent, thousands of our staff members have this wonderful
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive for the National Forest Company, said: “Holland & Barrett is committed to protecting the environment, through their product ranges and their working practices. We are delighted that such a well-known company, which reaches so many people with an interest in health and the environment, has chosen to support our work in creating The National Forest: it is a natural match and we are looking forward to working together to improve the quality of life for our local communities, visitors and wildlife.”
The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is shaping up nicely! As reported earlier in Forest Scene, this large site near Normanton le Heath, just outside Ashby de la Zouch – the biggest under one ownership in The National Forest – was chosen last year as the flagship Diamond Jubilee Wood, part of the Woodland Trust’s campaign to plant 6 million trees in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And how these 460 acres of reclaimed opencast, arable fields and newly created lake have changed! Nearly 200,000 native trees have been planted, many by local community groups, schoolchildren and sponsors, with another 100,000 to go, to be planted over the next two years.
Christmas New Year Mother’s Day Valentine’s Day Watch our film about Plant a Tree in The National Forest on
>> Story continues on page 5
In the recent ‘Get Britain Cycling’ debate in Parliament, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, highlighted the enormous range of cycling opportunities in The National Forest. He spoke of the massive transformation that has happened in his constituency, “where redundant coal mines have been transformed into part of the new National Forest and are criss-crossed by numerous well-used and attractive cycle paths, particularly the Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre, which allows thousands of families to have traffic-free cycling each year.” Cycling Projects, which is responsible for the Wheels for All Centres, has established three new Cycling Hubs in Derbyshire, one of which is at Rosliston Forestry Centre, near Swadlincote in the Forest. The Hubs are funded through a Derbyshire County Council Aiming High grant, and the facility at Rosliston will include a variety of adapted cycles for hire. Debbie Chesterman, Manager of Rosliston Forestry Centre, said: “The Hubs are designed to help young people with disabilities and their families enjoy the countryside. We are delighted to be able to offer these extra facilities here at the Forestry Centre.” See www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
The Forest went to the seaside this summer! You can now find The National Forest on Facebook, and we tweet @NatForestCo
The spectacular 2020VISION exhibition was on the seafront at Brighton for the height of the summer, taking its bold and inspirational messages about landscape, nature and our health and well-being, to a world of piers and promenades. It basked in the sunshine and went down a storm!
>> page 6
www.nationalforest.org Photographs courtesy of Christopher Beech, Helen Bralesford, Food and Environmental Research Agency, Jacqui Rock, RunnerPhotos, Beth Walsh, The Woodland Trust.
The National Forest – transforming 200 square miles of central England
Sophie’s column
THE NATIONAL FOREST WAY
Rolls-Royce plc has announced its continued support for the Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre, part of South Derbyshire District Council and The National Forest.
OPENING IN MAY 2014, THE NEW NATIONAL FOREST WAY LONG DISTANCE TRAIL WILL TAKE WALKERS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH A TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPE. ACROSS 75 MILES OF FOOTPATHS FROM THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM IN STAFFORDSHIRE TO BEACON HILL COUNTRY PARK IN LEICESTERSHIRE, THEY WILL DISCOVER THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL FOREST.
The company has pledged to support the running of environmental activities for schools and for the public for a further three years from April 2014 until March 2017 to the tune of £60,000 in total. The Rolls-Royce funding helps to support the Environmental Education Project which aims to enthuse all age groups about environmental science in an inspiring setting and is a key route into more formal science learning for young people. The funding contributes to projects such as the popular Science event held at Rosliston Forestry Centre each year, as well as the Free Tree Scheme which enables local residents to claim two free trees for their garden.
I suspect human beings are last minute merchants, veering away from final disaster at the eleventh hour. All the more reason to salute the originators of The National Forest, with their rare longterm vision for something which would transform lives, make the landscape more beautiful, give wildlife a chance and provide livelihoods for many. Here in the team we inherit and build on that foresight day by day. We are busy shaping up one of the biggest woodland management programmes in the country which will run for the next decade at least. This matters so much, as it will create the structure and character of the woods for future generations, encourage wildlife and provide local woodfuel. Win, win, win! We are also thinking ahead and adapting the species we plant, bearing in mind tree diseases and climate change. I’m personally so thrilled that the National Forest Way is becoming real, having had an amazing time walking the route over the last year. Thanks to all the support and practical help we continue to receive, from business, volunteers, residents and partners, The National Forest is coming of age and there is much to enjoy, in uncertain times. Here’s to the seasons of fungi, golden leaf medallions on the forest floor, sloe-picking and frosty fields.
Sophie Churchill, OBE FICFo
Kate Allies, Environmental Development Manager for South Derbyshire District Council, said: ‘We are delighted to continue our working relationship with Rolls-Royce. As well as the funding, which is brilliant news, we enjoy working with RollsRoyce trainees on longer term community projects and also one-day employee team challenge groups every year – which means we can offer even more to schools and the public as a result.” For more information see: www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch The National Forest Company has commissioned a set of signs saying clearly why dog owners should pick up their dog’s waste and take it home with them. Although most dog owners are highly responsible, dog mess is an increasing problem throughout the country. A recent Keep Britain Tidy survey revealed that 37% of people say that dog mess is the litter issue that bothers them most. And with an estimated eight million ‘man’s best friends’ in the UK, producing in the region of 1,000 tonnes of dog mess every day, you can begin to see the scale of the problem.
WE DID IT! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE HICKS LODGE VOLUNTEER GROUP AT THE NATIONAL FOREST CYCLE CENTRE TO WIN THE CENTRAL & EASTERN CO-OPERATIVE POLLINATOR PATCH AWARD. Co-operative members were invited to vote for a local patch of land to receive a wildflower makeover as part of the Co-op’s Plan Bee to help bees and other pollinators. Bees pollinate one third of the food we eat and the wildflowers they
>> page 2
love have been disappearing at an alarming rate: the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s. Hicks Lodge was a runaway winner in its region, and now the work has started to create a wildflower haven for bees and butterflies in a corner of this popular Forestry Commission site in North West Leicestershire. If you would like to visit the site, find out more at www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
[
The NFC is working with local landowners to tackle the problem of dog mess on pathways and in woodlands in the heart of the Forest. The message is simple: ‘Pick it up and take it home.’
Volunteers sow the first wildflower seeds at Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch.
The National Forest Way is being created by a partnership of the National Forest Company, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire County Councils, and is made possible by the generous support of Fisher German.
ASH DIEBACK
Wonderful Wood Fair Sam Lattaway, Head of Landscape, Biodiversity & Recreation for the NFC, said: “We are currently hard at work putting everything in place ready to launch the National Forest Way as part next year’s National Forest Walking Festival. By then we will have repaired broken stiles, erected waymarker posts, produced a suite of leaflets giving directions and launched a new website with plenty of information on things to see and do along the way. In the meantime, keep an eye on The National Forest website for more updates on progress.”
THE NINTH NATIONAL FOREST WOOD FAIR WAS A BRIGHT AND BUSY DAY! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ENJOYED THE SUNSHINE, AND MANY MADE THE MOST OF THE LONGER OPENING HOURS BY ARRIVING AT THE GATES BEFORE 9 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. White Rose Heavy Horses gave a fascinating display of the intricate skills of the horse logger, Phil Gregson demonstrated the smoky, steamy work of the wheelwright and the marquee was packed with visitors buying gifts and browsing the stalls, watching the woodturners, willow weavers
and whittlers. Many ice creams, pints of local beer and welcome cups of tea were consumed!
Come and join us next year with our valued partners Leicestershire County Council for a marvellous tenth anniversary Wood Fair!
Sadly, the first outbreaks of the tree disease Ash Dieback have been reported in The National Forest near Albert Village in North West Leicestershire. Ash Dieback (Chalara fraxinea) was first identified in the UK in February 2012 and is now established at around 560 locations across the UK. Unfortunately, as it is a fungus carried by the wind, it was only a matter of time before it reached The National Forest. The disease has been found at three sites between Albert Village and Moira, near Swadlincote. Surveys undertaken by Forestry Commission Plant Health staff showed the disease to be present on trees that are around 17 years old, and on some five year old trees . The Chair of the National Forest Company (NFC), Catherine Graham-Harrison, said: “We are saddened to learn of the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest. The ash is usually a very robust Midlands tree, prominent in our hedgerows and woodlands. We must hope that the more resilient trees survive and breed new generations of trees which withstand the disease.” The NFC is working with the Forestry Commission, which has advised that there is no cure for the disease and it is likely to have already spread to other parts of The National Forest. The Forestry Commission recommends that no direct action is taken. If diseased trees are felled it will not stop the spores from spreading further (as the spores are found on decaying leaf stalks and are wind borne). It will be a matter of learning to live with the disease and to manage dealing with a declining ash population in the country as a whole over a long period of time. It is important that infected sites are monitored to identify any symptom-free trees that may prove resistant to the disease. Catherine Graham-Harrison added: “Ash is a significant tree in the Forest, probably around 15 – 20% of all the trees we have, but in The National Forest we have always planted mixed species woodlands, which make them more resilient when diseases like this affect one species.
New staff as Forest continues to progress
The National Forest 10K kicked off from Conkers once again and 384 runners sped off in style. National Forest sponsor PHS Direct sent over 50 runners from as far afield as Glasgow and Kent, to celebrate the 50th birthday of its parent company PHS Group.
Chief Executive, National Forest Company.
PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT HOME!
Immersed in a history that has seen the area change from a rural landscape, through industrialisation and its decline, to the modern day creation of a new forest, the trail leads through young and ancient woodlands, market towns and the industrial heritage of this changing landscape at the heart of the Midlands.
Secondary school students create a spider’s web as part of an Environmental Education session at Rosliston Forestry Centre.
Sophie, with Freddie of White Rose Heavy Horses, at the National Forest Wood Fair. Centre and right: Kay Alexander, National Forest Ambassador and former BBC Midlands Today presenter, and Cllr Rosita Page, Chair of Leicestershire County Council.
The Environmental Education Project team also work closely with Rolls-Royce plc and other partners to develop education resources for schools and for the public – for example, tree and town trails which people can use to enjoy Rosliston Forestry Centre or Swadlincote town centre.
Running for 50 years
What to think about the state of the so-called ‘natural’ world? Here we are feeling personal sadness at the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest (see more on page 4) and as I write, a recent report says that climate change is irrevocable, caused by humans and unpredictable in its consequences, no doubt affecting the poor before the rest of us who have caused it.
INSPIRING SCIENCE
working with landowners to help them make the most of their woodlands in terms of management, and developing markets for the timber.
The National Forest Company (NFC) welcomes Charles Robinson, Woodland Management Officer, and Caroline Scothern, Community Engagement Officer for the Heritage Lottery-funded Black to Green project. Both new posts, they reflect the developing work of the NFC as The National Forest exceeds 19.5% woodland cover throughout its 200 square miles. There are many more trees still to plant, but developing the Forest’s economy and identity, and looking after the woodlands, are essential to the ongoing creation of the Forest. Charles and Caroline’s work will both take this forward.
Charles trained in Countryside Management at Harper Adams University College and comes to The National Forest from previous posts with Natural England and the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As Woodland Management Officer he will be
As Community Engagement Officer, Caroline will be working on the development stage of Black to Green. Along with partners throughout the Heart of the Forest, the NFC has established this inspiring project to connect people with the rapid changes to the landscape around Ashby Woulds, Donisthorpe and Moira. Caroline joins the Forest from a teaching and social work background, and brings a passion for forest schools, the outdoors and nature conservation.
Grants for Woodland Management: Charles will soon be given extra scope for his work with woodland owners in the Forest, when the NFC launches a new Woodland Management Grant. The grant will cover a wide range of woodland management related works and will be targeted at woodlands planted in the early years of the Forest’s creation (15-23 years old). It will focus on improvement works to these woodlands through appropriate and on-going management, and will aim to take a broad approach, supporting various types of ‘Forest Site’.
You can become a Friend of The National Forest. Help us look after the woodlands, improve access to the Forest and provide inspiring environmental education projects for young people.
>> page 3
]
>>
[
Consultation with residents in the Heart of the Forest has shown that local people are keen to get more involved in the Forest, from surveying wildlife to planting trees. Over the next year Caroline will be running pilot events to test what people enjoy most. “Offering a range of activities will be a great way to find out what people are most interested in, and help us plan for the future. The area’s seen so much change from the days of coal and clay to the now emerging forest – it’s exciting to get involved in that, find out about the past and help look after the future.” If you’re interested in getting involved email Caroline at blacktogreen@nationalforest.org
WALKERS ARE WELCOME A VOLUNTEER GROUP FROM MELBOURNE IN DERBYSHIRE, ON THE EDGE OF THE NATIONAL FOREST, HAS BEEN AWARDED WALKERS ARE WELCOME STATUS FOR THE TOWN. IT IS THE FIRST AWARD OF THIS TYPE IN DERBYSHIRE.
“Over time the biggest visual impact is likely to be from losing mature hedgerow ash trees in the landscape, but not whole woodlands. It will be interesting to see what natural re-growth happens in any gaps left by dead ash trees, and as trees start to decay they will provide valuable habitat for specialist beetles, fungi and birds such as woodpeckers. “We are only half-way through the Forest’s creation. Whilst the loss of some of its ash trees will be a big blow, we still have the opportunity to add many more new woodlands to the landscape with other species in the future.
Rather than being a regular walking group, they are concerned with maintaining, repairing and promoting the local footpath network around Melbourne.
“It is hoped that one day we can again plant ash trees once diseaseresistant trees have been found and grown to seedling stage.”
They spend their time looking after all the practical niceties that make the walker’s life a happy one: they clear paths, repair stiles, erect signs and waymark paths. They deserve a medal!
The National Forest Company offers the following advice to landowners and the public:
Members are encouraged to walk a small number of paths twice a year to check on their condition, and join working parties to carry out the maintenance work: they are always on the lookout for extra pairs of hands.
Landowners and members of the public should remain vigilant and report any suspected instances of Ash Dieback to the Forestry Commission using the Tree Alert form (www.forestry.gov.uk/treealert)
The National Forest Company asks that any confirmed cases of the disease within The National Forest should be reported to Matt Brocklehurst, Head of Forestry, National Forest Company, on 01283 551211.
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “This is a great example of local people looking after facilities that will help others enjoy their bit of the Forest and we salute them for it!”
Information on spotting the disease with advice on what to do if you suspect it, is available on the Forestry Commission website (www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback)
For further information on Ash Dieback see www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback For further information on The National Forest see www.nationalforest.org
See melbournefootpathsgroup.wordpress.com/
A new short film commissioned by NFC tells the powerful story of three lives transformed by The National Forest. Meet Paige, Mark and David at http://www.nationalforest.org/ The film has already unlocked some new support for the Forest. Let us know if there are people you think should see it. Email forestscene@nationalforest.org
>> page 4
>>
[
Leave a legacy to The National Forest and create a green and living memory. See www.nationalforest.org/sponsor/legacy/
]
Sophie’s column
THE NATIONAL FOREST WAY
Rolls-Royce plc has announced its continued support for the Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre, part of South Derbyshire District Council and The National Forest.
OPENING IN MAY 2014, THE NEW NATIONAL FOREST WAY LONG DISTANCE TRAIL WILL TAKE WALKERS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH A TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPE. ACROSS 75 MILES OF FOOTPATHS FROM THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM IN STAFFORDSHIRE TO BEACON HILL COUNTRY PARK IN LEICESTERSHIRE, THEY WILL DISCOVER THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL FOREST.
The company has pledged to support the running of environmental activities for schools and for the public for a further three years from April 2014 until March 2017 to the tune of £60,000 in total. The Rolls-Royce funding helps to support the Environmental Education Project which aims to enthuse all age groups about environmental science in an inspiring setting and is a key route into more formal science learning for young people. The funding contributes to projects such as the popular Science event held at Rosliston Forestry Centre each year, as well as the Free Tree Scheme which enables local residents to claim two free trees for their garden.
I suspect human beings are last minute merchants, veering away from final disaster at the eleventh hour. All the more reason to salute the originators of The National Forest, with their rare longterm vision for something which would transform lives, make the landscape more beautiful, give wildlife a chance and provide livelihoods for many. Here in the team we inherit and build on that foresight day by day. We are busy shaping up one of the biggest woodland management programmes in the country which will run for the next decade at least. This matters so much, as it will create the structure and character of the woods for future generations, encourage wildlife and provide local woodfuel. Win, win, win! We are also thinking ahead and adapting the species we plant, bearing in mind tree diseases and climate change. I’m personally so thrilled that the National Forest Way is becoming real, having had an amazing time walking the route over the last year. Thanks to all the support and practical help we continue to receive, from business, volunteers, residents and partners, The National Forest is coming of age and there is much to enjoy, in uncertain times. Here’s to the seasons of fungi, golden leaf medallions on the forest floor, sloe-picking and frosty fields.
Sophie Churchill, OBE FICFo
Kate Allies, Environmental Development Manager for South Derbyshire District Council, said: ‘We are delighted to continue our working relationship with Rolls-Royce. As well as the funding, which is brilliant news, we enjoy working with RollsRoyce trainees on longer term community projects and also one-day employee team challenge groups every year – which means we can offer even more to schools and the public as a result.” For more information see: www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch The National Forest Company has commissioned a set of signs saying clearly why dog owners should pick up their dog’s waste and take it home with them. Although most dog owners are highly responsible, dog mess is an increasing problem throughout the country. A recent Keep Britain Tidy survey revealed that 37% of people say that dog mess is the litter issue that bothers them most. And with an estimated eight million ‘man’s best friends’ in the UK, producing in the region of 1,000 tonnes of dog mess every day, you can begin to see the scale of the problem.
WE DID IT! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE HICKS LODGE VOLUNTEER GROUP AT THE NATIONAL FOREST CYCLE CENTRE TO WIN THE CENTRAL & EASTERN CO-OPERATIVE POLLINATOR PATCH AWARD. Co-operative members were invited to vote for a local patch of land to receive a wildflower makeover as part of the Co-op’s Plan Bee to help bees and other pollinators. Bees pollinate one third of the food we eat and the wildflowers they
>> page 2
love have been disappearing at an alarming rate: the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s. Hicks Lodge was a runaway winner in its region, and now the work has started to create a wildflower haven for bees and butterflies in a corner of this popular Forestry Commission site in North West Leicestershire. If you would like to visit the site, find out more at www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
[
The NFC is working with local landowners to tackle the problem of dog mess on pathways and in woodlands in the heart of the Forest. The message is simple: ‘Pick it up and take it home.’
Volunteers sow the first wildflower seeds at Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch.
The National Forest Way is being created by a partnership of the National Forest Company, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire County Councils, and is made possible by the generous support of Fisher German.
ASH DIEBACK
Wonderful Wood Fair Sam Lattaway, Head of Landscape, Biodiversity & Recreation for the NFC, said: “We are currently hard at work putting everything in place ready to launch the National Forest Way as part next year’s National Forest Walking Festival. By then we will have repaired broken stiles, erected waymarker posts, produced a suite of leaflets giving directions and launched a new website with plenty of information on things to see and do along the way. In the meantime, keep an eye on The National Forest website for more updates on progress.”
THE NINTH NATIONAL FOREST WOOD FAIR WAS A BRIGHT AND BUSY DAY! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ENJOYED THE SUNSHINE, AND MANY MADE THE MOST OF THE LONGER OPENING HOURS BY ARRIVING AT THE GATES BEFORE 9 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. White Rose Heavy Horses gave a fascinating display of the intricate skills of the horse logger, Phil Gregson demonstrated the smoky, steamy work of the wheelwright and the marquee was packed with visitors buying gifts and browsing the stalls, watching the woodturners, willow weavers
and whittlers. Many ice creams, pints of local beer and welcome cups of tea were consumed!
Come and join us next year with our valued partners Leicestershire County Council for a marvellous tenth anniversary Wood Fair!
Sadly, the first outbreaks of the tree disease Ash Dieback have been reported in The National Forest near Albert Village in North West Leicestershire. Ash Dieback (Chalara fraxinea) was first identified in the UK in February 2012 and is now established at around 560 locations across the UK. Unfortunately, as it is a fungus carried by the wind, it was only a matter of time before it reached The National Forest. The disease has been found at three sites between Albert Village and Moira, near Swadlincote. Surveys undertaken by Forestry Commission Plant Health staff showed the disease to be present on trees that are around 17 years old, and on some five year old trees . The Chair of the National Forest Company (NFC), Catherine Graham-Harrison, said: “We are saddened to learn of the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest. The ash is usually a very robust Midlands tree, prominent in our hedgerows and woodlands. We must hope that the more resilient trees survive and breed new generations of trees which withstand the disease.” The NFC is working with the Forestry Commission, which has advised that there is no cure for the disease and it is likely to have already spread to other parts of The National Forest. The Forestry Commission recommends that no direct action is taken. If diseased trees are felled it will not stop the spores from spreading further (as the spores are found on decaying leaf stalks and are wind borne). It will be a matter of learning to live with the disease and to manage dealing with a declining ash population in the country as a whole over a long period of time. It is important that infected sites are monitored to identify any symptom-free trees that may prove resistant to the disease. Catherine Graham-Harrison added: “Ash is a significant tree in the Forest, probably around 15 – 20% of all the trees we have, but in The National Forest we have always planted mixed species woodlands, which make them more resilient when diseases like this affect one species.
New staff as Forest continues to progress
The National Forest 10K kicked off from Conkers once again and 384 runners sped off in style. National Forest sponsor PHS Direct sent over 50 runners from as far afield as Glasgow and Kent, to celebrate the 50th birthday of its parent company PHS Group.
Chief Executive, National Forest Company.
PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT HOME!
Immersed in a history that has seen the area change from a rural landscape, through industrialisation and its decline, to the modern day creation of a new forest, the trail leads through young and ancient woodlands, market towns and the industrial heritage of this changing landscape at the heart of the Midlands.
Secondary school students create a spider’s web as part of an Environmental Education session at Rosliston Forestry Centre.
Sophie, with Freddie of White Rose Heavy Horses, at the National Forest Wood Fair. Centre and right: Kay Alexander, National Forest Ambassador and former BBC Midlands Today presenter, and Cllr Rosita Page, Chair of Leicestershire County Council.
The Environmental Education Project team also work closely with Rolls-Royce plc and other partners to develop education resources for schools and for the public – for example, tree and town trails which people can use to enjoy Rosliston Forestry Centre or Swadlincote town centre.
Running for 50 years
What to think about the state of the so-called ‘natural’ world? Here we are feeling personal sadness at the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest (see more on page 4) and as I write, a recent report says that climate change is irrevocable, caused by humans and unpredictable in its consequences, no doubt affecting the poor before the rest of us who have caused it.
INSPIRING SCIENCE
working with landowners to help them make the most of their woodlands in terms of management, and developing markets for the timber.
The National Forest Company (NFC) welcomes Charles Robinson, Woodland Management Officer, and Caroline Scothern, Community Engagement Officer for the Heritage Lottery-funded Black to Green project. Both new posts, they reflect the developing work of the NFC as The National Forest exceeds 19.5% woodland cover throughout its 200 square miles. There are many more trees still to plant, but developing the Forest’s economy and identity, and looking after the woodlands, are essential to the ongoing creation of the Forest. Charles and Caroline’s work will both take this forward.
Charles trained in Countryside Management at Harper Adams University College and comes to The National Forest from previous posts with Natural England and the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As Woodland Management Officer he will be
As Community Engagement Officer, Caroline will be working on the development stage of Black to Green. Along with partners throughout the Heart of the Forest, the NFC has established this inspiring project to connect people with the rapid changes to the landscape around Ashby Woulds, Donisthorpe and Moira. Caroline joins the Forest from a teaching and social work background, and brings a passion for forest schools, the outdoors and nature conservation.
Grants for Woodland Management: Charles will soon be given extra scope for his work with woodland owners in the Forest, when the NFC launches a new Woodland Management Grant. The grant will cover a wide range of woodland management related works and will be targeted at woodlands planted in the early years of the Forest’s creation (15-23 years old). It will focus on improvement works to these woodlands through appropriate and on-going management, and will aim to take a broad approach, supporting various types of ‘Forest Site’.
You can become a Friend of The National Forest. Help us look after the woodlands, improve access to the Forest and provide inspiring environmental education projects for young people.
>> page 3
]
>>
[
Consultation with residents in the Heart of the Forest has shown that local people are keen to get more involved in the Forest, from surveying wildlife to planting trees. Over the next year Caroline will be running pilot events to test what people enjoy most. “Offering a range of activities will be a great way to find out what people are most interested in, and help us plan for the future. The area’s seen so much change from the days of coal and clay to the now emerging forest – it’s exciting to get involved in that, find out about the past and help look after the future.” If you’re interested in getting involved email Caroline at blacktogreen@nationalforest.org
WALKERS ARE WELCOME A VOLUNTEER GROUP FROM MELBOURNE IN DERBYSHIRE, ON THE EDGE OF THE NATIONAL FOREST, HAS BEEN AWARDED WALKERS ARE WELCOME STATUS FOR THE TOWN. IT IS THE FIRST AWARD OF THIS TYPE IN DERBYSHIRE.
“Over time the biggest visual impact is likely to be from losing mature hedgerow ash trees in the landscape, but not whole woodlands. It will be interesting to see what natural re-growth happens in any gaps left by dead ash trees, and as trees start to decay they will provide valuable habitat for specialist beetles, fungi and birds such as woodpeckers. “We are only half-way through the Forest’s creation. Whilst the loss of some of its ash trees will be a big blow, we still have the opportunity to add many more new woodlands to the landscape with other species in the future.
Rather than being a regular walking group, they are concerned with maintaining, repairing and promoting the local footpath network around Melbourne.
“It is hoped that one day we can again plant ash trees once diseaseresistant trees have been found and grown to seedling stage.”
They spend their time looking after all the practical niceties that make the walker’s life a happy one: they clear paths, repair stiles, erect signs and waymark paths. They deserve a medal!
The National Forest Company offers the following advice to landowners and the public:
Members are encouraged to walk a small number of paths twice a year to check on their condition, and join working parties to carry out the maintenance work: they are always on the lookout for extra pairs of hands.
Landowners and members of the public should remain vigilant and report any suspected instances of Ash Dieback to the Forestry Commission using the Tree Alert form (www.forestry.gov.uk/treealert)
The National Forest Company asks that any confirmed cases of the disease within The National Forest should be reported to Matt Brocklehurst, Head of Forestry, National Forest Company, on 01283 551211.
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “This is a great example of local people looking after facilities that will help others enjoy their bit of the Forest and we salute them for it!”
Information on spotting the disease with advice on what to do if you suspect it, is available on the Forestry Commission website (www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback)
For further information on Ash Dieback see www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback For further information on The National Forest see www.nationalforest.org
See melbournefootpathsgroup.wordpress.com/
A new short film commissioned by NFC tells the powerful story of three lives transformed by The National Forest. Meet Paige, Mark and David at http://www.nationalforest.org/ The film has already unlocked some new support for the Forest. Let us know if there are people you think should see it. Email forestscene@nationalforest.org
>> page 4
>>
[
Leave a legacy to The National Forest and create a green and living memory. See www.nationalforest.org/sponsor/legacy/
]
Sophie’s column
THE NATIONAL FOREST WAY
Rolls-Royce plc has announced its continued support for the Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre, part of South Derbyshire District Council and The National Forest.
OPENING IN MAY 2014, THE NEW NATIONAL FOREST WAY LONG DISTANCE TRAIL WILL TAKE WALKERS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH A TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPE. ACROSS 75 MILES OF FOOTPATHS FROM THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM IN STAFFORDSHIRE TO BEACON HILL COUNTRY PARK IN LEICESTERSHIRE, THEY WILL DISCOVER THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL FOREST.
The company has pledged to support the running of environmental activities for schools and for the public for a further three years from April 2014 until March 2017 to the tune of £60,000 in total. The Rolls-Royce funding helps to support the Environmental Education Project which aims to enthuse all age groups about environmental science in an inspiring setting and is a key route into more formal science learning for young people. The funding contributes to projects such as the popular Science event held at Rosliston Forestry Centre each year, as well as the Free Tree Scheme which enables local residents to claim two free trees for their garden.
I suspect human beings are last minute merchants, veering away from final disaster at the eleventh hour. All the more reason to salute the originators of The National Forest, with their rare longterm vision for something which would transform lives, make the landscape more beautiful, give wildlife a chance and provide livelihoods for many. Here in the team we inherit and build on that foresight day by day. We are busy shaping up one of the biggest woodland management programmes in the country which will run for the next decade at least. This matters so much, as it will create the structure and character of the woods for future generations, encourage wildlife and provide local woodfuel. Win, win, win! We are also thinking ahead and adapting the species we plant, bearing in mind tree diseases and climate change. I’m personally so thrilled that the National Forest Way is becoming real, having had an amazing time walking the route over the last year. Thanks to all the support and practical help we continue to receive, from business, volunteers, residents and partners, The National Forest is coming of age and there is much to enjoy, in uncertain times. Here’s to the seasons of fungi, golden leaf medallions on the forest floor, sloe-picking and frosty fields.
Sophie Churchill, OBE FICFo
Kate Allies, Environmental Development Manager for South Derbyshire District Council, said: ‘We are delighted to continue our working relationship with Rolls-Royce. As well as the funding, which is brilliant news, we enjoy working with RollsRoyce trainees on longer term community projects and also one-day employee team challenge groups every year – which means we can offer even more to schools and the public as a result.” For more information see: www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch The National Forest Company has commissioned a set of signs saying clearly why dog owners should pick up their dog’s waste and take it home with them. Although most dog owners are highly responsible, dog mess is an increasing problem throughout the country. A recent Keep Britain Tidy survey revealed that 37% of people say that dog mess is the litter issue that bothers them most. And with an estimated eight million ‘man’s best friends’ in the UK, producing in the region of 1,000 tonnes of dog mess every day, you can begin to see the scale of the problem.
WE DID IT! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE HICKS LODGE VOLUNTEER GROUP AT THE NATIONAL FOREST CYCLE CENTRE TO WIN THE CENTRAL & EASTERN CO-OPERATIVE POLLINATOR PATCH AWARD. Co-operative members were invited to vote for a local patch of land to receive a wildflower makeover as part of the Co-op’s Plan Bee to help bees and other pollinators. Bees pollinate one third of the food we eat and the wildflowers they
>> page 2
love have been disappearing at an alarming rate: the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s. Hicks Lodge was a runaway winner in its region, and now the work has started to create a wildflower haven for bees and butterflies in a corner of this popular Forestry Commission site in North West Leicestershire. If you would like to visit the site, find out more at www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
[
The NFC is working with local landowners to tackle the problem of dog mess on pathways and in woodlands in the heart of the Forest. The message is simple: ‘Pick it up and take it home.’
Volunteers sow the first wildflower seeds at Hicks Lodge Pollinator Patch.
The National Forest Way is being created by a partnership of the National Forest Company, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire County Councils, and is made possible by the generous support of Fisher German.
ASH DIEBACK
Wonderful Wood Fair Sam Lattaway, Head of Landscape, Biodiversity & Recreation for the NFC, said: “We are currently hard at work putting everything in place ready to launch the National Forest Way as part next year’s National Forest Walking Festival. By then we will have repaired broken stiles, erected waymarker posts, produced a suite of leaflets giving directions and launched a new website with plenty of information on things to see and do along the way. In the meantime, keep an eye on The National Forest website for more updates on progress.”
THE NINTH NATIONAL FOREST WOOD FAIR WAS A BRIGHT AND BUSY DAY! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ENJOYED THE SUNSHINE, AND MANY MADE THE MOST OF THE LONGER OPENING HOURS BY ARRIVING AT THE GATES BEFORE 9 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. White Rose Heavy Horses gave a fascinating display of the intricate skills of the horse logger, Phil Gregson demonstrated the smoky, steamy work of the wheelwright and the marquee was packed with visitors buying gifts and browsing the stalls, watching the woodturners, willow weavers
and whittlers. Many ice creams, pints of local beer and welcome cups of tea were consumed!
Come and join us next year with our valued partners Leicestershire County Council for a marvellous tenth anniversary Wood Fair!
Sadly, the first outbreaks of the tree disease Ash Dieback have been reported in The National Forest near Albert Village in North West Leicestershire. Ash Dieback (Chalara fraxinea) was first identified in the UK in February 2012 and is now established at around 560 locations across the UK. Unfortunately, as it is a fungus carried by the wind, it was only a matter of time before it reached The National Forest. The disease has been found at three sites between Albert Village and Moira, near Swadlincote. Surveys undertaken by Forestry Commission Plant Health staff showed the disease to be present on trees that are around 17 years old, and on some five year old trees . The Chair of the National Forest Company (NFC), Catherine Graham-Harrison, said: “We are saddened to learn of the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest. The ash is usually a very robust Midlands tree, prominent in our hedgerows and woodlands. We must hope that the more resilient trees survive and breed new generations of trees which withstand the disease.” The NFC is working with the Forestry Commission, which has advised that there is no cure for the disease and it is likely to have already spread to other parts of The National Forest. The Forestry Commission recommends that no direct action is taken. If diseased trees are felled it will not stop the spores from spreading further (as the spores are found on decaying leaf stalks and are wind borne). It will be a matter of learning to live with the disease and to manage dealing with a declining ash population in the country as a whole over a long period of time. It is important that infected sites are monitored to identify any symptom-free trees that may prove resistant to the disease. Catherine Graham-Harrison added: “Ash is a significant tree in the Forest, probably around 15 – 20% of all the trees we have, but in The National Forest we have always planted mixed species woodlands, which make them more resilient when diseases like this affect one species.
New staff as Forest continues to progress
The National Forest 10K kicked off from Conkers once again and 384 runners sped off in style. National Forest sponsor PHS Direct sent over 50 runners from as far afield as Glasgow and Kent, to celebrate the 50th birthday of its parent company PHS Group.
Chief Executive, National Forest Company.
PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT HOME!
Immersed in a history that has seen the area change from a rural landscape, through industrialisation and its decline, to the modern day creation of a new forest, the trail leads through young and ancient woodlands, market towns and the industrial heritage of this changing landscape at the heart of the Midlands.
Secondary school students create a spider’s web as part of an Environmental Education session at Rosliston Forestry Centre.
Sophie, with Freddie of White Rose Heavy Horses, at the National Forest Wood Fair. Centre and right: Kay Alexander, National Forest Ambassador and former BBC Midlands Today presenter, and Cllr Rosita Page, Chair of Leicestershire County Council.
The Environmental Education Project team also work closely with Rolls-Royce plc and other partners to develop education resources for schools and for the public – for example, tree and town trails which people can use to enjoy Rosliston Forestry Centre or Swadlincote town centre.
Running for 50 years
What to think about the state of the so-called ‘natural’ world? Here we are feeling personal sadness at the arrival of Ash Dieback in The National Forest (see more on page 4) and as I write, a recent report says that climate change is irrevocable, caused by humans and unpredictable in its consequences, no doubt affecting the poor before the rest of us who have caused it.
INSPIRING SCIENCE
working with landowners to help them make the most of their woodlands in terms of management, and developing markets for the timber.
The National Forest Company (NFC) welcomes Charles Robinson, Woodland Management Officer, and Caroline Scothern, Community Engagement Officer for the Heritage Lottery-funded Black to Green project. Both new posts, they reflect the developing work of the NFC as The National Forest exceeds 19.5% woodland cover throughout its 200 square miles. There are many more trees still to plant, but developing the Forest’s economy and identity, and looking after the woodlands, are essential to the ongoing creation of the Forest. Charles and Caroline’s work will both take this forward.
Charles trained in Countryside Management at Harper Adams University College and comes to The National Forest from previous posts with Natural England and the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As Woodland Management Officer he will be
As Community Engagement Officer, Caroline will be working on the development stage of Black to Green. Along with partners throughout the Heart of the Forest, the NFC has established this inspiring project to connect people with the rapid changes to the landscape around Ashby Woulds, Donisthorpe and Moira. Caroline joins the Forest from a teaching and social work background, and brings a passion for forest schools, the outdoors and nature conservation.
Grants for Woodland Management: Charles will soon be given extra scope for his work with woodland owners in the Forest, when the NFC launches a new Woodland Management Grant. The grant will cover a wide range of woodland management related works and will be targeted at woodlands planted in the early years of the Forest’s creation (15-23 years old). It will focus on improvement works to these woodlands through appropriate and on-going management, and will aim to take a broad approach, supporting various types of ‘Forest Site’.
You can become a Friend of The National Forest. Help us look after the woodlands, improve access to the Forest and provide inspiring environmental education projects for young people.
>> page 3
]
>>
[
Consultation with residents in the Heart of the Forest has shown that local people are keen to get more involved in the Forest, from surveying wildlife to planting trees. Over the next year Caroline will be running pilot events to test what people enjoy most. “Offering a range of activities will be a great way to find out what people are most interested in, and help us plan for the future. The area’s seen so much change from the days of coal and clay to the now emerging forest – it’s exciting to get involved in that, find out about the past and help look after the future.” If you’re interested in getting involved email Caroline at blacktogreen@nationalforest.org
WALKERS ARE WELCOME A VOLUNTEER GROUP FROM MELBOURNE IN DERBYSHIRE, ON THE EDGE OF THE NATIONAL FOREST, HAS BEEN AWARDED WALKERS ARE WELCOME STATUS FOR THE TOWN. IT IS THE FIRST AWARD OF THIS TYPE IN DERBYSHIRE.
“Over time the biggest visual impact is likely to be from losing mature hedgerow ash trees in the landscape, but not whole woodlands. It will be interesting to see what natural re-growth happens in any gaps left by dead ash trees, and as trees start to decay they will provide valuable habitat for specialist beetles, fungi and birds such as woodpeckers. “We are only half-way through the Forest’s creation. Whilst the loss of some of its ash trees will be a big blow, we still have the opportunity to add many more new woodlands to the landscape with other species in the future.
Rather than being a regular walking group, they are concerned with maintaining, repairing and promoting the local footpath network around Melbourne.
“It is hoped that one day we can again plant ash trees once diseaseresistant trees have been found and grown to seedling stage.”
They spend their time looking after all the practical niceties that make the walker’s life a happy one: they clear paths, repair stiles, erect signs and waymark paths. They deserve a medal!
The National Forest Company offers the following advice to landowners and the public:
Members are encouraged to walk a small number of paths twice a year to check on their condition, and join working parties to carry out the maintenance work: they are always on the lookout for extra pairs of hands.
Landowners and members of the public should remain vigilant and report any suspected instances of Ash Dieback to the Forestry Commission using the Tree Alert form (www.forestry.gov.uk/treealert)
The National Forest Company asks that any confirmed cases of the disease within The National Forest should be reported to Matt Brocklehurst, Head of Forestry, National Forest Company, on 01283 551211.
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “This is a great example of local people looking after facilities that will help others enjoy their bit of the Forest and we salute them for it!”
Information on spotting the disease with advice on what to do if you suspect it, is available on the Forestry Commission website (www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback)
For further information on Ash Dieback see www.forestry.gov.uk/ashdieback For further information on The National Forest see www.nationalforest.org
See melbournefootpathsgroup.wordpress.com/
A new short film commissioned by NFC tells the powerful story of three lives transformed by The National Forest. Meet Paige, Mark and David at http://www.nationalforest.org/ The film has already unlocked some new support for the Forest. Let us know if there are people you think should see it. Email forestscene@nationalforest.org
>> page 4
>>
[
Leave a legacy to The National Forest and create a green and living memory. See www.nationalforest.org/sponsor/legacy/
]
Events
100,000 visitors per year! As Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre celebrates its second year of operation, the latest figures show that the number of visitors exceeds all expectations, with over 100,000 people using the centre over the last year. Local families, teenagers and visitors to the Forest just love the trails and the facilities provided at this friendly Forestry Commission centre.
NOVEMBER 24-24 Dec Santa’s Grotto and Nativity Scene with real animals. National Forest Adventure Farm 01283 533933 30 Ashby de la Zouch Christmas Food & Drink Market 01530 416961
If you haven’t visited already, you will find the centre on Willesley Lane between Ashby de la Zouch and Moira. Enjoy nine miles of safe off-road trails, showers, cycle hire and a great café! See you there! http://www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
30-1 Dec Christmas Tudor Craft Day at Donington le Heath Manor House 01530 831259
>> Story continues from front page – The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood
See above for National Forest Adventure Farm and CONKERS Christmas activities 7 Winter Photography Workshop at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 14 Christmas Fine Food Fair at Calke Abbey 01332 863822 15 Derby Bach Choir sing Handel’s Messiah in the Riding School, Calke Abbey 01332 863822 20 CONKERS Annual Christmas Carols concert with Ibstock brick Brass Band 01283 216633 24 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Festive event at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 26-1 Jan Family Bauble Trail at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333
JANUARY 19 Winter Wonderland Walk at Rosliston Forestry Centre 01283 563483
APRIL
A car park for 50 cars and two coaches has been created, and this is soon to be followed by the construction of a surfaced allability track, enabling everyone to enjoy a circular walk from the car park to the lake. The lake is now graced by a new timber bird hide. Its construction is funded by the Arts Council, and it will be integrated into the landscape with green willow woven screening and a turf roof. The hide will double-up as an art gallery, displaying photography and other visual art work produced by artists and individuals or communities using the site. A photographic project is being developed by artist Patricia Swannell to capture the site from one specific viewpoint as it changes and develops, using a brick plinth constructed near the lake. Families and other users will be invited to take their own pictures of themselves in the landscape over time, to record another aspect of change at the site.
19-18 May Bluebell Woods of Yoxall Lodge 01283 575237
MAY 17-18 Moira Canal Festival 01530 515273 17-29 National Forest Walking Festival www.thenationalforestwalkingfesti val.org.uk
Plant a Tree to remember a loved one. Many people find comfort in planting a tree to remember and celebrate the life of a special person.
>> page 5
Burton upon Trent Birmingham
Leicester
Swadlincote
ForestScene Winter 2013/14
Ashby de la Zouch
Large print version available Tel: 01283 551211
Coalville
MEMBERS OF THE NFC TEAM MET IAN FROGATT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST RECENTLY, TO SEE HOW THE TRUST IS MANAGING MARTINSHAW WOOD. THE WOODLAND IS VISIBLE FROM THE M1 IN LEICESTERSHIRE, AND THE TRUST IS USING THINNING TECHNIQUES AS PART OF RESTORING A PLANTATION ON ANCIENT WOODLAND SITES (PAWS).
e! it Hom Take 2 Page
NF10K Page 2
National F orest W ay Page 3
Wood F Page air 4
NATIONAL FOREST & BEYOND VISITOR CAMPAIGN As part of the 2014 National Forest & Beyond campaign the visitor guide will be re-launched in a magazine style format and will include real life visitor stories, distinctive experiences and a more ‘strippeddown’ approach. To help us with the transition from traditional Visitor Guide to the new magazine style format, we have appointed Greentraveller, a respected organisation that specialises in promoting sustainable tourism. Greentraveller is working with us to include contributions from renowned travel writers, who have visited the Forest and will share their experiences.
Across the lake, a 9ha conservation area has been secured, providing sanctuary for the wildlife to escape the sometimes over-zealous gaze of the visiting public. Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “We are very excited to see how the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is developing. The National Forest Company and other landowners worked with the Woodland Trust to enable the flagship wood to be located here, and the sheer scale of
the site makes it a marvellous addition to the woodlands and attractions we have in the Forest already. The artwork and interpretation, the conservation and the access work dovetailing together make this a really exciting project. There’s a lot of interest already and local people are exploring the site. It will be a wonderful place for a real ramble through woodland, big enough to get lost in!” www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Forest, food, fun and friends: the National Forest Company is supporting a unique community woodland project near Melbourne, Derbyshire. Whistlewood Common Limited, a not-for-profit society, approached the NFC with a vision of community-owned low-input, high-yield woodland where people could grow their own food, spend time outdoors, learn new skills and celebrate with families and friends. They offered community shares in the company, in order to purchase the land and get the project up and running. The share offer was matched by grant aid from the NFC. Within two weeks of the launch they had raised sufficient funds to put in an offer on 10 acres of land
on Melbourne Common, which was accepted subject to contract. “The friendly, efficient and productive support we received from the National Forest Company really helped us get Whistlewood off the ground,” said the group’s Chair Helen Bralesford. The project will provide a communityowned growing space where the best agro-forestry practice will flourish in partnership with perennial food production. Alan Leather, for the NFC, said: “This is a truly inspiring project. It’s great to see what can be achieved by a passionate community with good ideas.” For more information see www.whistlewoodcommon.org
“Anna the llama lady = my new personal hero. We LOVED this http://www.nationalforestllamatreks”
PAWS restoration is designed to help reinstate ancient woodland, such as Martinshaw, which typically shows little evidence of pre-1600 woodland (the definition of ancient woodland), having been planted with fast-growing conifers between the 1930s and 1970s in order to restock the nation’s timber reserves. Trees were needed to replace the timber that had been used to prop up the trenches, or fuel the steelmaking. But the resultant pines and cedars now often dominate the native woodland species, preventing successful natural regeneration, and shading out many of the wildflowers that grow on the forest floor and the shrubs that grow at the woodland edge. Discussing how the management was being carried out prompted an interesting debate as to whether any of the softwood trees would be retained. Some of us felt that conifers are part of the tradition and landscape of this area now, and an important potential product in many woods. The Trust is working with a contractor on a ‘feller select’ basis, to lightly thin where it is needed and to carry out what is termed halo thinning. This means clearing
enough conifers around a single broadleaf tree to create a halo of light, enabling that one tree to thrive and increase its canopy, and enough of the precious dappled shade, that we all associate with woodland, to fall on the forest floor. If too much light is let in through excessive thinning, bracken and bramble swarm in, smothering any possibility of the desirable ground flora establishing itself. Seeing piles of logs neatly arranged beside the forest track, towering over our heads, we all felt proud that this timber came from our Forest. The visit gave us insight into what lies ahead in looking after our woodlands. To shape the Forest for quality, to make it a welcoming place to walk through and to make it a sustainable forest for our woodland owners, as well as planting new stock, the red ‘Tree cutting’ signs will be out and we will hear the sound of chainsaws. This is an edited version of an article that appeared on the NFC blog ‘Woodland Edge’. Read it at www.nationalforest.org/ newsroom/
“Spent last few days exploring @NatForestCo attractions on assignment for @greentraveller. The kids loved dressing up @NTCalkeAbbey #travel”
HOLLAND & BARRETT, EUROPE’S LEADING RETAILER OF VITAMINS, MINERALS AND HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS, IS THE LATEST COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL FOREST. THEIR SPONSORSHIP IN THE FIRST YEAR WILL CREATE NEW FOREST AT NANPANTAN, AND COMPLEMENT THEIR BUSINESS-WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT ‘PLAN-IT GREEN’. resource of The National Forest on their doorstep. For us as a national company, we are excited to be part of the visionary work of the Forest, and the impact that it has on people and the environment.”
“So enjoyed our biking around Hicks Lodge. Wish we could make yr bike mushing event coming up!”
Plant a Tree – the gift that keeps on giving Both you and the recipient are then invited to join us for a special planting event, to plant the tiny ‘whip’ (young tree) that you choose on the day, usually an oak, birch, field maple, rowan or small-leaved lime.
Plant a Tree is a wonderful way to support The National Forest and treat someone to a treasured, sustainable gift. When you buy Plant a Tree online you create your own certificate from our designs and write your own personal message to the person receiving the gift. Attach by email, or print out the certificate in your own home for delivery by post, or by hand, rolled and tied with a ribbon!
You will be helping create new woodland, on a site that will always be open for you to visit. You can see the trees as they grow and change with the seasons, and enjoy the birdsong as the local wildlife make it their home. Buy it online at www.nationalforest.org/ sponsor/plantatree/ A perfect present for:
Halo T hinning Page 6
Pedal power!
What they’re tweeting already:
WHISTLEWOOD COMMON: A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?
[
Derby Nottingham
Halo thinning at Martinshaw Wood
30-24 Dec Christmas Winter Wonderland at CONKERS 01283 216633
DECEMBER
The National Forest Company Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6BA T: 01283 551211 F: 01283 552844 E: enquiries@nationalforest.org W: www.nationalforest.org
Their stores are a familiar sight in almost every major city and town across the United Kingdom and Ireland, and throughout their history Holland & Barrett have supported the manufacture and supply of products which help protect the world’s natural resources and habitats. They are also recognised as a key sponsor of the successful re-introduction of the blue butterfly in Britain. In
2010 they were the first national retailer to commit to having no plastic bags in store. Lysa Hardy, Chief Marketing Officer for NBTY Europe (Holland & Barrett’s parent company), said: “With our headquarters in Nuneaton and distribution centre in The National Forest at Burton upon Trent, thousands of our staff members have this wonderful
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive for the National Forest Company, said: “Holland & Barrett is committed to protecting the environment, through their product ranges and their working practices. We are delighted that such a well-known company, which reaches so many people with an interest in health and the environment, has chosen to support our work in creating The National Forest: it is a natural match and we are looking forward to working together to improve the quality of life for our local communities, visitors and wildlife.”
The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is shaping up nicely! As reported earlier in Forest Scene, this large site near Normanton le Heath, just outside Ashby de la Zouch – the biggest under one ownership in The National Forest – was chosen last year as the flagship Diamond Jubilee Wood, part of the Woodland Trust’s campaign to plant 6 million trees in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And how these 460 acres of reclaimed opencast, arable fields and newly created lake have changed! Nearly 200,000 native trees have been planted, many by local community groups, schoolchildren and sponsors, with another 100,000 to go, to be planted over the next two years.
Christmas New Year Mother’s Day Valentine’s Day Watch our film about Plant a Tree in The National Forest on
>> Story continues on page 5
In the recent ‘Get Britain Cycling’ debate in Parliament, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, highlighted the enormous range of cycling opportunities in The National Forest. He spoke of the massive transformation that has happened in his constituency, “where redundant coal mines have been transformed into part of the new National Forest and are criss-crossed by numerous well-used and attractive cycle paths, particularly the Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre, which allows thousands of families to have traffic-free cycling each year.” Cycling Projects, which is responsible for the Wheels for All Centres, has established three new Cycling Hubs in Derbyshire, one of which is at Rosliston Forestry Centre, near Swadlincote in the Forest. The Hubs are funded through a Derbyshire County Council Aiming High grant, and the facility at Rosliston will include a variety of adapted cycles for hire. Debbie Chesterman, Manager of Rosliston Forestry Centre, said: “The Hubs are designed to help young people with disabilities and their families enjoy the countryside. We are delighted to be able to offer these extra facilities here at the Forestry Centre.” See www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
The Forest went to the seaside this summer! You can now find The National Forest on Facebook, and we tweet @NatForestCo
The spectacular 2020VISION exhibition was on the seafront at Brighton for the height of the summer, taking its bold and inspirational messages about landscape, nature and our health and well-being, to a world of piers and promenades. It basked in the sunshine and went down a storm!
>> page 6
www.nationalforest.org Photographs courtesy of Christopher Beech, Helen Bralesford, Food and Environmental Research Agency, Jacqui Rock, RunnerPhotos, Beth Walsh, The Woodland Trust.
The National Forest – transforming 200 square miles of central England
Events
100,000 visitors per year! As Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre celebrates its second year of operation, the latest figures show that the number of visitors exceeds all expectations, with over 100,000 people using the centre over the last year. Local families, teenagers and visitors to the Forest just love the trails and the facilities provided at this friendly Forestry Commission centre.
NOVEMBER 24-24 Dec Santa’s Grotto and Nativity Scene with real animals. National Forest Adventure Farm 01283 533933 30 Ashby de la Zouch Christmas Food & Drink Market 01530 416961
If you haven’t visited already, you will find the centre on Willesley Lane between Ashby de la Zouch and Moira. Enjoy nine miles of safe off-road trails, showers, cycle hire and a great café! See you there! http://www.forestry.gov.uk/hickslodge
30-1 Dec Christmas Tudor Craft Day at Donington le Heath Manor House 01530 831259
>> Story continues from front page – The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood
See above for National Forest Adventure Farm and CONKERS Christmas activities 7 Winter Photography Workshop at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 14 Christmas Fine Food Fair at Calke Abbey 01332 863822 15 Derby Bach Choir sing Handel’s Messiah in the Riding School, Calke Abbey 01332 863822 20 CONKERS Annual Christmas Carols concert with Ibstock brick Brass Band 01283 216633 24 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Festive event at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333 26-1 Jan Family Bauble Trail at the National Memorial Arboretum 01283 792333
JANUARY 19 Winter Wonderland Walk at Rosliston Forestry Centre 01283 563483
APRIL
A car park for 50 cars and two coaches has been created, and this is soon to be followed by the construction of a surfaced allability track, enabling everyone to enjoy a circular walk from the car park to the lake. The lake is now graced by a new timber bird hide. Its construction is funded by the Arts Council, and it will be integrated into the landscape with green willow woven screening and a turf roof. The hide will double-up as an art gallery, displaying photography and other visual art work produced by artists and individuals or communities using the site. A photographic project is being developed by artist Patricia Swannell to capture the site from one specific viewpoint as it changes and develops, using a brick plinth constructed near the lake. Families and other users will be invited to take their own pictures of themselves in the landscape over time, to record another aspect of change at the site.
19-18 May Bluebell Woods of Yoxall Lodge 01283 575237
MAY 17-18 Moira Canal Festival 01530 515273 17-29 National Forest Walking Festival www.thenationalforestwalkingfesti val.org.uk
Plant a Tree to remember a loved one. Many people find comfort in planting a tree to remember and celebrate the life of a special person.
>> page 5
Burton upon Trent Birmingham
Leicester
Swadlincote
ForestScene Winter 2013/14
Ashby de la Zouch
Large print version available Tel: 01283 551211
Coalville
MEMBERS OF THE NFC TEAM MET IAN FROGATT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST RECENTLY, TO SEE HOW THE TRUST IS MANAGING MARTINSHAW WOOD. THE WOODLAND IS VISIBLE FROM THE M1 IN LEICESTERSHIRE, AND THE TRUST IS USING THINNING TECHNIQUES AS PART OF RESTORING A PLANTATION ON ANCIENT WOODLAND SITES (PAWS).
e! it Hom Take 2 Page
NF10K Page 2
National F orest W ay Page 3
Wood F Page air 4
NATIONAL FOREST & BEYOND VISITOR CAMPAIGN As part of the 2014 National Forest & Beyond campaign the visitor guide will be re-launched in a magazine style format and will include real life visitor stories, distinctive experiences and a more ‘strippeddown’ approach. To help us with the transition from traditional Visitor Guide to the new magazine style format, we have appointed Greentraveller, a respected organisation that specialises in promoting sustainable tourism. Greentraveller is working with us to include contributions from renowned travel writers, who have visited the Forest and will share their experiences.
Across the lake, a 9ha conservation area has been secured, providing sanctuary for the wildlife to escape the sometimes over-zealous gaze of the visiting public. Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive, NFC, said: “We are very excited to see how the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is developing. The National Forest Company and other landowners worked with the Woodland Trust to enable the flagship wood to be located here, and the sheer scale of
the site makes it a marvellous addition to the woodlands and attractions we have in the Forest already. The artwork and interpretation, the conservation and the access work dovetailing together make this a really exciting project. There’s a lot of interest already and local people are exploring the site. It will be a wonderful place for a real ramble through woodland, big enough to get lost in!” www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Forest, food, fun and friends: the National Forest Company is supporting a unique community woodland project near Melbourne, Derbyshire. Whistlewood Common Limited, a not-for-profit society, approached the NFC with a vision of community-owned low-input, high-yield woodland where people could grow their own food, spend time outdoors, learn new skills and celebrate with families and friends. They offered community shares in the company, in order to purchase the land and get the project up and running. The share offer was matched by grant aid from the NFC. Within two weeks of the launch they had raised sufficient funds to put in an offer on 10 acres of land
on Melbourne Common, which was accepted subject to contract. “The friendly, efficient and productive support we received from the National Forest Company really helped us get Whistlewood off the ground,” said the group’s Chair Helen Bralesford. The project will provide a communityowned growing space where the best agro-forestry practice will flourish in partnership with perennial food production. Alan Leather, for the NFC, said: “This is a truly inspiring project. It’s great to see what can be achieved by a passionate community with good ideas.” For more information see www.whistlewoodcommon.org
“Anna the llama lady = my new personal hero. We LOVED this http://www.nationalforestllamatreks”
PAWS restoration is designed to help reinstate ancient woodland, such as Martinshaw, which typically shows little evidence of pre-1600 woodland (the definition of ancient woodland), having been planted with fast-growing conifers between the 1930s and 1970s in order to restock the nation’s timber reserves. Trees were needed to replace the timber that had been used to prop up the trenches, or fuel the steelmaking. But the resultant pines and cedars now often dominate the native woodland species, preventing successful natural regeneration, and shading out many of the wildflowers that grow on the forest floor and the shrubs that grow at the woodland edge. Discussing how the management was being carried out prompted an interesting debate as to whether any of the softwood trees would be retained. Some of us felt that conifers are part of the tradition and landscape of this area now, and an important potential product in many woods. The Trust is working with a contractor on a ‘feller select’ basis, to lightly thin where it is needed and to carry out what is termed halo thinning. This means clearing
enough conifers around a single broadleaf tree to create a halo of light, enabling that one tree to thrive and increase its canopy, and enough of the precious dappled shade, that we all associate with woodland, to fall on the forest floor. If too much light is let in through excessive thinning, bracken and bramble swarm in, smothering any possibility of the desirable ground flora establishing itself. Seeing piles of logs neatly arranged beside the forest track, towering over our heads, we all felt proud that this timber came from our Forest. The visit gave us insight into what lies ahead in looking after our woodlands. To shape the Forest for quality, to make it a welcoming place to walk through and to make it a sustainable forest for our woodland owners, as well as planting new stock, the red ‘Tree cutting’ signs will be out and we will hear the sound of chainsaws. This is an edited version of an article that appeared on the NFC blog ‘Woodland Edge’. Read it at www.nationalforest.org/ newsroom/
“Spent last few days exploring @NatForestCo attractions on assignment for @greentraveller. The kids loved dressing up @NTCalkeAbbey #travel”
HOLLAND & BARRETT, EUROPE’S LEADING RETAILER OF VITAMINS, MINERALS AND HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS, IS THE LATEST COMPANY TO ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL FOREST. THEIR SPONSORSHIP IN THE FIRST YEAR WILL CREATE NEW FOREST AT NANPANTAN, AND COMPLEMENT THEIR BUSINESS-WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT ‘PLAN-IT GREEN’. resource of The National Forest on their doorstep. For us as a national company, we are excited to be part of the visionary work of the Forest, and the impact that it has on people and the environment.”
“So enjoyed our biking around Hicks Lodge. Wish we could make yr bike mushing event coming up!”
Plant a Tree – the gift that keeps on giving Both you and the recipient are then invited to join us for a special planting event, to plant the tiny ‘whip’ (young tree) that you choose on the day, usually an oak, birch, field maple, rowan or small-leaved lime.
Plant a Tree is a wonderful way to support The National Forest and treat someone to a treasured, sustainable gift. When you buy Plant a Tree online you create your own certificate from our designs and write your own personal message to the person receiving the gift. Attach by email, or print out the certificate in your own home for delivery by post, or by hand, rolled and tied with a ribbon!
You will be helping create new woodland, on a site that will always be open for you to visit. You can see the trees as they grow and change with the seasons, and enjoy the birdsong as the local wildlife make it their home. Buy it online at www.nationalforest.org/ sponsor/plantatree/ A perfect present for:
Halo T hinning Page 6
Pedal power!
What they’re tweeting already:
WHISTLEWOOD COMMON: A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?
[
Derby Nottingham
Halo thinning at Martinshaw Wood
30-24 Dec Christmas Winter Wonderland at CONKERS 01283 216633
DECEMBER
The National Forest Company Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6BA T: 01283 551211 F: 01283 552844 E: enquiries@nationalforest.org W: www.nationalforest.org
Their stores are a familiar sight in almost every major city and town across the United Kingdom and Ireland, and throughout their history Holland & Barrett have supported the manufacture and supply of products which help protect the world’s natural resources and habitats. They are also recognised as a key sponsor of the successful re-introduction of the blue butterfly in Britain. In
2010 they were the first national retailer to commit to having no plastic bags in store. Lysa Hardy, Chief Marketing Officer for NBTY Europe (Holland & Barrett’s parent company), said: “With our headquarters in Nuneaton and distribution centre in The National Forest at Burton upon Trent, thousands of our staff members have this wonderful
Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive for the National Forest Company, said: “Holland & Barrett is committed to protecting the environment, through their product ranges and their working practices. We are delighted that such a well-known company, which reaches so many people with an interest in health and the environment, has chosen to support our work in creating The National Forest: it is a natural match and we are looking forward to working together to improve the quality of life for our local communities, visitors and wildlife.”
The Woodland Trust’s Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood is shaping up nicely! As reported earlier in Forest Scene, this large site near Normanton le Heath, just outside Ashby de la Zouch – the biggest under one ownership in The National Forest – was chosen last year as the flagship Diamond Jubilee Wood, part of the Woodland Trust’s campaign to plant 6 million trees in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And how these 460 acres of reclaimed opencast, arable fields and newly created lake have changed! Nearly 200,000 native trees have been planted, many by local community groups, schoolchildren and sponsors, with another 100,000 to go, to be planted over the next two years.
Christmas New Year Mother’s Day Valentine’s Day Watch our film about Plant a Tree in The National Forest on
>> Story continues on page 5
In the recent ‘Get Britain Cycling’ debate in Parliament, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, highlighted the enormous range of cycling opportunities in The National Forest. He spoke of the massive transformation that has happened in his constituency, “where redundant coal mines have been transformed into part of the new National Forest and are criss-crossed by numerous well-used and attractive cycle paths, particularly the Hicks Lodge National Forest Cycle Centre, which allows thousands of families to have traffic-free cycling each year.” Cycling Projects, which is responsible for the Wheels for All Centres, has established three new Cycling Hubs in Derbyshire, one of which is at Rosliston Forestry Centre, near Swadlincote in the Forest. The Hubs are funded through a Derbyshire County Council Aiming High grant, and the facility at Rosliston will include a variety of adapted cycles for hire. Debbie Chesterman, Manager of Rosliston Forestry Centre, said: “The Hubs are designed to help young people with disabilities and their families enjoy the countryside. We are delighted to be able to offer these extra facilities here at the Forestry Centre.” See www.roslistonforestrycentre.co.uk
The Forest went to the seaside this summer! You can now find The National Forest on Facebook, and we tweet @NatForestCo
The spectacular 2020VISION exhibition was on the seafront at Brighton for the height of the summer, taking its bold and inspirational messages about landscape, nature and our health and well-being, to a world of piers and promenades. It basked in the sunshine and went down a storm!
>> page 6
www.nationalforest.org Photographs courtesy of Christopher Beech, Helen Bralesford, Food and Environmental Research Agency, Jacqui Rock, RunnerPhotos, Beth Walsh, The Woodland Trust.
The National Forest – transforming 200 square miles of central England